The Value of Teamwork
by Teefa and Co
Summary: When Rena feels she is not needed in the group, she begins to doubt her own abilities. Can Claude help her out? Rated for slight violence. Read only if you've at least gotten past Cross Cave.


The Value of Teamwork  
  
The gang of Lizard Axes was coming closer to the three travelers on the road to Click. To the beasts, they looked like easy prey. There was a blond young man in a green jacket with khakis and a black shirt, a blue hared girl in a blue skirt, overalls, and a white shirt, and a sexy purple hared woman in a skimpy purple dress. "What kind of threat could they offer?" thought the monsters, "We'll finish them off shortly, and then have a feast."  
  
Unfortunately for the mob of monsters, these weren't your ordinary travelers. There was Claude Kenni—the blond man—who was quite gifted with a sword for someone who just picked it up as a substitute for his depleted blaster. Rena Lanford—the blue hared girl—had a little jujitsu training as well as healing powers. Finally, Celine Jules—the purple hared woman—was one of the best Heraldic Sorceresses around.  
  
Claude began cutting up Lizard Axes right and left. It was as if he was everywhere on the battlefield at once, and the beasts began losing confidence. While Claude distracted them, Celine cast her Ray spell on whomever she could. Hordes of them fell in an instant while their comrades just watched in fear.  
  
When the battle was over, Claude asked his team, "Is everyone alright? Are there any outstanding injuries?"  
  
"Fine darling," replied Celine. "Those beasts could never wound me in any way."  
  
Rena remained silent. She had just sat and watched while her friends made monster mince meat out of the Lizard Axes. It was the same in the last battle, and the one before that. All she ever did was heal their injuries—and that didn't happen very often with their skills.  
  
"What's wrong Rena?" asked Claude.  
  
Rena began to cry. "All I do is hold you back, right?"  
  
"Where did you ever get an idea like that Rena darling?" asked Celine.  
  
"Well, in every battle all I do is heal. You and Claude take care of the monsters," she replied.  
  
Claude looked stunned. "But Rena, your healing is a necessary element to the party. We're a team, and everyone has a part to play. It's like soccer, I'm the offense, you're the defense, and Celine's the midfielder."  
  
At this comment, both Celine and Rena sweatdropped. "What's soccer?" asked Celine.  
  
Claude blushed. He'd forgotten that he was on an alien planet, and they may not play the same sports as him. "Um…just a sport from my hometown," he replied.  
  
"But every battle we fight, I do nothing. My healing is rarely needed because you two don't get hurt very often. And just two fights ago, Claude had to break off from his attack to rescue me from a Kobold," said Rena.  
  
She turned her back on her friends and began walking back the way they came. "I'm going home to Arlia," she cried. Then Rena's walk became a run, and she left.  
  
"Rena, wait for me!" screamed Claude. He then turned and ran after her.  
  
Celine sighed, "Oh well, never a boring day with these two. They sound like a couple after she found him flirting with another guy." Thinking of her womanizing ex-fiancée Bowman, she said, "I can surely relate to that instance." Then she too followed Rena.  
  
Meanwhile, Claude had found Rena in a forest crying at the base of a tree. She was talking to herself, saying, "You're such a fool Rena. Not only do you totally mess up in battle, but you get Claude in trouble too. You should just go home before you hurt someone."  
  
Suddenly, she felt Claude's hand on her shoulder. Rena blushed at the feeling, she had been harboring a crush on him ever since he saved her from that monster ape in the Shingo Forest. She buried her face in his chest, and cried even harder.  
  
"Claude what should I do?" she asked him. "I want to help you, but I feel that I'd hurt you somehow because of my inept ability."  
  
Claude just shrugged. He paused a moment before saying, "You should do what you think is right. Weigh the advantages against the disadvantages in this journey. It will be dangerous and one or all of us may die, so I can't blame you for being afraid. But you wanted to find your birth mother and get your answer, so you might want to re-think your decision to leave us."  
  
Rena was silent. She began to remember her youth, and how her foster mother—Westa—treated her as if she was her birth child. Westa hadn't even told Rena about how she was found abandoned in the Shingo Forest near a strange contraption when she was a toddler. Then, she thought about the horrid day when her foster father died, and she eavesdropped on Westa and the mayor as they talked about Rena's adoption. Ever since then, Rena had vowed to find her birth parents. Did she really want to stop now? Was it really worth it if Claude and Celine got hurt because of her?  
  
Her reverie was interrupted by Celine running through the bushes. "We've got a serious problem darlings," said the young sorceress. "A gang of Kobolds are chasing me through the forest. It looks like they want a real fight."  
  
She was right. At that moment, about ten Kobolds came crashing through the same bush Celine had come through. They began talking in their language, which the Human and the two Expellians didn't understand. The three warriors could get the gist of the conversation though, the beasts were hungry.  
  
Claude rushed right into the fray, but the beasts ganged up on him. In three seconds flat, they had him down. An enraged Celine tried to cast her Starlight spell, but was hit every time and kept losing her charge on the spell. Soon after, she too was down.  
  
Rena had hidden in a small area behind a bush so she wouldn't be in the way. She saw the whole fight, and was afraid for her friends' lives. "No, please don't let them die," she cried. As Rena's tears came down, energy built up in her palms. The girl stood up in the bush, and began charging up a spell. "You hoo, over hear dog breath," she called.  
  
As the Kobolds turned around, they saw Rena preparing to cast a spell. At once, they ran at her in order to stop it, but it was too late. Rena released the energy in her palm and shouted, "Ray!" All of a sudden the powerful energy bombs that made up the spell Ray fell all over the battlefield, wiping out every monster in sight.  
  
Rena ran to her friends. She held Claude in her arms and whispered, "Be ok Claude, Heal." At once, his injuries were cured and he stood up. Then, she did the same to Celine, who also got up. Both were dazed but otherwise their pain was gone.  
  
"I feel like I was hit by a ton of bricks," said Claude. He began rubbing his head to ease the pain. "You really saved the day, thanks Rena." Then Claude picked up his travel bag and motioned to the girls that he was heading back towards Click.  
  
Suddenly, he felt a pinch on the right arm of his coat. When Claude looked back, he saw it was Rena. "So, are you in for the distance Rena?" he asked.  
  
"Yup," replied Rena. "I've finally realized that my role is just as important as yours. We're a team, and it takes all of us to make it work."  
  
Claude gave Rena a smile. She blushed a bit, and then smiled back. As the sun set on the beautiful planet of Expel, the three adventurers headed towards the town of Click, to fulfil their destiny.  
  
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Heh, this was inspired by that Star Ocean EX picture of Rena grabbing onto Claude's jacket and they're both smiling. My English teacher had us write a story for class that was inspired by looking at a picture (like on a standardized test), and I chose that one. I usually do fanfiction whenever I get a writing assignment. It's not the best one I've ever done, but I had to make a conflict story. 


End file.
